I grew up in a beautiful area in mountains of California so I feel at home with nature around me. I now study plant ecology and urban design at UC Berkeley near San Fransisco. I have always been very active throughout my life enjoying soccer, Brazilian jiu jitsu, ski racing, running, weight lifting, hang gliding, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and more. Growing up in the mountains, I have not built much confidence with activities in the ocean and am rather incompetent while getting beat around by the waves. It is my goal to work on this underdeveloped side of me and gain experience with surfing and other ocean activities. I also play classical guitar and have been working on writing my own music.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

On October 3rd I will start an intensive tropical ecology program at Monteverde Institute. Until then, I have over a month with no plans or obligations. In that time, I seek to experience authentic life in Costa Rica, exchanging skills and traditions throughout my time.

Interests

• cooking
• soccer
• nature
• brazilian jiu jitsu
• cooking and baking
• cooking and eating
• cooking together

Music, Movies, and Books

I truly love songs with strong guitar chord progressions. I get very pulled into movies, getting truly sad, scared, or happy throughout any type of movie. Regarding books, the truth is, I have had a very hard time reading throughout my life not being able to stay focused while sitting with a book in my hands. Recently however I have been working very hard to improve my reading capabilities and have actually finished a few books (which is a huge accomplishment for me). My favorites are wild fantasy stories such as The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I just backpacked for 5 days to Machu Picchu in Peru with my girlfriend. We passed a 20,000 foot (6,200 meter) mountain by ourselves. It was very difficult but very fulfilling.

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach guitar, english, cooking, or handy skills such as rock work and simple construction tasks. I seek to learn simple trades involved with food, construction, and crafts. For instance, I recently have been learning to bake home made bread and make pasta noodles from scratch. These kinds of skills truly excite and inspire me.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I love to cook. I am very inventive with my meals not really being able to stay on track with a recipe. I promise my meals almost always work out deliciously. Also I can do efficient and precise house and yard work. I love working with my hands and helping on projects.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States